Comments by Cheshana Marshall

Great way of phrasing it Nancy! The entire season felt "wobbly," like they were just wrapping up loose ends rather than building to a grand exit. Hence the hokey send-off with a weak reboot promise (Abel twisting the Son's ring on his finger). Ick. I'm not looking to start a debate, but it had the opposite effect of Breaking Bad, which did keep a tight storyline throughout the tragedy. It's ironic, since most viewers knew SoA was based on Hamlet, so the expectation was there. :-/

The finale did feel forced to me, in terms of social commentary and Jax's final ride: "Look, our MC is brown, black, LGBT friendly and we'll kill anyone who doesn't embrace those standards!" Is that supposed to be an analogy for the U.S. internal struggles along with its place in the world market, particularly China, ha, ha? "Look, our porn business doesn't just exploit women, we have a woman behind the camera!" "Look, I've learned that you can't let your mother or wife blind you to justice in our world!" Plus the setup for Jax's exit felt contrived and melodramatic.. A troop of police/highway patrol cars pacing one guy on a motorcycle? You could see it grow from one car to a large force, but no one speeds ahead or has someone cut him off at a pass? It takes a 18-wheeler to do so? And the truck driver doesn't hear anything over the wire or audibly that gives him warning something's around the corner? I'm not buying it... :-/

Marc Pickering did a GREAT job as the young sheriff Enoch Thompson. I was actually looking to see if it was some kind of surreal makeup/digital editing job on Steve Buscemi. Some may call it an impression, but he embraced Enoch Johnson just as much. I found myself -clapping- at the end of the episode, when Nucky was taking his last drink. I can't remember the last time I felt that moved by any recorded presentation, film/TV/otherwise. Excellent! This as a drama takes creative license with history yet we can see it still points towards the downfall of Al Capone, Enoch Johnson, parts of the Sicilian Mafia and Harlem organized crime. All against the backdrop of Prohibition, Women's Suffrage, the Roaring 20's and the Great Depression. Though they skip over 7 years, they're doing a decent job thus far of wrapping up all these characters' downfalls and/or transitions. But many of the females' stories feel like they are red herrings, a twisted "Who Killed Laura Palmer?" What relevance do they truly have to the overall drama beyond an object to be either rescued, exploited or a bother to the men? The actresses and characters are interesting, yet how they fit into the overall plot leaves something to be desired. Even with that Boardwalk Empire is one of the best dramas on television at the moment. Cheers!

Nucky is a better man in how he killed Jimmy:1. He did it himself.2. He didn't put other people in harms way when he did it (unlike Jimmy's failed attempt in the middle of a party). Yeah, Jimmy may be all cute and everything, but he's a momma's boy. Nucky gave him the world and Jimmy spat on it. We know some of the reasons why, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he's let others run his life. Not one, but two rapists? Both your parents? Your daddy raped your mother, conceived you, then your mother rapes you? And you know all of this? But you turn your back on the man who's always been there for you for power and greed? And you guys pity Jimmy? Because he's pretty? shakes head

I was ROTFLMAO during the Liam kill scene - Bach's Toccata and Fugue swelling as Harrow briskly packs his rifle and leaves - an obvious wink to Phantom of the Opera while staying historically accurate - then the switch over to Lucy watching Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. All broadcast on Halloween! Delicious! Notice the song and lyrics during the end credits, "Don't Hurt Me Daddy"; Lucy is about to get uh-guh-lay in here-ya! This one nips at the heels of Breaking Bad or the Sopranos in terms of quality. I watched this episode twice and I never watch an episode twice. Only complaint was the gratuitous lesbian subplot. *yawn*

Jane is model material but a bit generic - I can see her on the cover of Maxim but I would mistake/forget her as someone else. She's what's hot yesterday/today but not tomorrow. Kayla is too 'spunky', catalog; I could see her in a Target add; she's the GLBT token. Chris is the black token and it screams it. Ann is supposed to give some legitimacy to ANTM, "see, we're in tune to the fashion industry, we produce tall skinny girls; we're not just a feel-good show for our fat American audience!" But they went overboard in picking her. Chelsey looks like a fit, white, Gen-X housewife, 10 years older than her purported age. Perhaps she's the token for that demographic. Maybe she could be an actor, but not a model (unless, of course, Target or Walmart adds, not runway or editorial spreads). Which brings Liz - oh Liz. She was supposed to be the bitch girl this season but was too self-absorbed and wore her insecurities on her sleeve in the form of complaints, complaints, complaints. But in terms of looks she was THE IT girl on ANTM. She had this racial and sexual androgyny about her - she looks likes Prince's long lost baby sister or bastard child! That echo of the 80's (very popular these days) while current. Too bad she just wasn't compelling in some way.

I despised Mercedes Jones' rendition of "Sweet Transvestite" - she bellowed are all lyrics. She's got the fat black girl complex where she feels she must sing at the top of her lungs with an imaginary choir behind her while strutting/jiggling her stuff. Give it a rest! She hides her weight behind her bombastic performances. She could have channeled Tim Curry's sultry Dr. Frank N. Furter very well, even if she's twice his size. I would have found it much more provocative and funny - why is the point of RHPS.